Gear.



G. OLSON.

GEAR.

APPLICATION man oc.-z, |915.

Patented June 19, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET x.

G. OLSON.

GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED ocT. 2. 1915.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEioE.

GUSTAF OLSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF 'IO LOUIS GREENBERG .AND ONEl-SIXII-IATOV WILLARD M. MCEWEN, BOTH OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GEAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 19, 1917.

Applicatonled October 2, 1915. Serial No. 53,694.

To all lwhom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GUSTAF OLSON, a citi zen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gears; and l do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a gear member more particularly adapted for use in an electric or like fan of that type shown and described in myco-pending application` Serial No. 35,121, iiled June 19, 1915.

In the fan shown and described in said application, the mechanism is such that the motor and its attached fan blades during their operation may be turned bodily about a vertical aXis, while, at the same time tilted bodily up and down in a vertical plane. The tilting of the fan motor and its attached'fan blades bodily up and down in a vertical plane is effected by means of a circular, wave-like track member, over which travel rollers journaled on the motor casing of the fan. As the rollers travel over the crowns or high portions of the wave-like track member, the motor casing and fan blades are tilted upwardly, while, when said rollers travel over the depressions or low portions of the wavelike track member, the motor casing and fan blades are tilted downwardly. The turning of the motor casing and its fan blades bodily in a vertical plane is effected by a gear pinion carried on the motor casing being in mesh with gear teeth on one of the annular edges of the wave-like track or gear member.

As above stated, the present invention relates to the wave-like track or gear member and more 1aarticularly to the manner in which the gear teeth thereof are formed so that the gear pinion will not bind against the gear teeth on the track member as the gear pinion is moved bodily up and down in the tilting of the motor casing in a vertical plane.

The invention consists further in the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of an electric fan having applied thereto a track member constructed in accordance with my invention g Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of said track member removed from the fan; and

Figs 3, 4, and 5 are vertical sectional views taken through the track member at three points, respectively, and showing the gear` pinion in mesh with the gear teeth of the track member in the position it occupies when at the three points; Fig. 3 shows the gear pinion at one of the crowns or highest portions of the track member; Fig. 4L shows said gear pinion at one of the depressions or lowest portions of the track member; and Fig. 5 shows the gear pinion at a point between the highest and lowest portions of said track member.

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown in detail one preferred form of a device embodying the features of my invention, and, as illustrated, I have shown said device as being applied to an electric fan of the desk or like type. Said fan com` prises an upright supporting base 10, upon the upperl end of which is mounted, for movementaround a vertical aXis, a motor casing 11. The motor housed within said casing 11 is provided with an armature shaft 12 horizontally arranged and journaled in suitable bearings provided therefor in said casing. One end of said armature shaft 12 extends beyond said casing and has secured thereto fan blades 13, 13. Said fan blades are surrounded by a wire guard 14, which is attached to the motor casing by arms 15, 15. Depending from the under side of the motor casing 11 is a lug 16, the latter being pivotally secured by a horizontally arranged pivot pin 17 to the upper end 18 of a vertically arranged shaft or post 19, the latter being journaled for movement about a vertical aXis in a bore 20 formed in said base 10. Said pivot pin 17 permits the motor casing 11 and its fan blades 13, 13 to be tilted bodily in a vertical plane, both up and down, while the rotative post 19 enables the casing 11 and its fan blades to be turned bodily about the vertical aXis o f said post 19. Said post 19 is provided ad]acent its upper end with a downwardly facing annular shoulder Q1, which seats on an upwardly tat-ing annular surface 22v ou said base 10.

Mounted on the upper end of the base 10 is a` vertically arranged member Q9, which constitutes the subject-mattei' of this invention, and, as illustrated, said member 23 comprises a depending sleeve 21, which embraces the upper end portion 18 ot said post 19 and the base 10. The lower end of said sleeve Q1 seats on an upwardly facing shoulder 25 on said base 1t). Said member 23 is provided with a transversely disposed, annular tlange or track portion 26 concentrically arranged with respect to said vertical post 19. Said annular track portion QG is of wave-like i'orm with the crowns or high parts 26a of the waves substantially diametrically opposite 'the depressions or low parts 26 thereof. (See Fig. 2.) Said circular track member :2G is provided around its outer annular edge with a plurality oi spur-gear teeth 27, 2T, and the upper face of said track member 2G forms a circular wave-like bearing surface 2S tor vertically arranged rollers 29, 29. Said rollers are mounted on horizontally arranged, outwardly extending stud shafts 30, 30 secured to the depending lug 1G. A spur-gear pinion 231 meshes with the gear teeth 27, 27 ot the member and, as illustrated, said gear pinion 31 is secured to the lower end of a vertical shaft 3i). journaled in said casing 11. For transmitting power from the armature shaft 12 to said vertical shaft 32, said shafts may be operatively connected with .ach other by any form of a clutch-included mechanism devised ior that purpose, but 1 prefer to employ a mechanism such as is shown and described in my said co-pending application Serial No. 35,121, and therefore do not deem it necessary to illustrate and describe such mechanism herein. It might be stated, however, that with such mechanism the vertical shaft and its gear pinion 31 are rotated by the armature shaft 12, and when said vertical shaft 32 is rotated, said gear pinion 31 being in mesh with said gear teeth 2T causes the casing 11 and its connected parts to be turned bodily with and about the vertical axis et the post 19 during' the ruiming ot the motor and its tan blades.

' By reason of a clutch device in such mechanism, the armature and vertical shafts 1Q, 3Q may be connected and disconnected, when desired, and thereby the fan motor will be permitted to run without. being turned bodily about a vert-ical axis and at the same time be tilted up and down in a vertical plane.

A rheostatof any preferred construction may be located at the bottom of and within the hollow base 10, and such rheostat embraces the usual switch arm 33 adapted to be moved so as to open or close the circuit between the source and the motor ot the tan. Any type of an electrical connection may be employed between the rheostat and the tan motor, such for instance as is shown in my said eo-pending application Serial No. 35,121. At any rate, such electrical connection includes conductor wires 34, 34e lea ding from the switch to the :tan motor. Current is supplied to said wires 3-1, 3ft from a suitable source by the main extension wires 35,

The track or gear member may be tixed or otherwise secured to the base 1() by a set screw or the like, so as to hold said gear member from rotation about a vertical axis. (')n the other hand, suitable stop members,

such as are shown and described in my said copending application Serial No. 35,121, may be employed, when it is desired to loosely mount the gear member .23 on the base 10 and permit the gear member to be tree to turn about a vertical axis, when the post 1) is held stationary, or to permit both of such parts to rotate about a. vertical axis relatively to each other.

Now referring in detail to the gear or track member 23: rThe gear pinion 531 is made long enough so as to always remain in mesh with the gear teeth Q7 of the track member 23 in any position that the gear pinion may assume as it is carried up and down with the casing 11 in the latters tilting movements. Said gear pinion 31 is provided with spur teeth 3G, 36, the outer edges 236 ot which and the bases 37 ot the spaces 3S between said teeth are parallel to each other and to the axis ot rotation of the pinion, or parallel to the axis of rotation of the shatt lt is to be noted that, when the gear or track member Q3 is held stationary and the casing 11 is turned with the post 19 about a vertical axis, the rollers Q9, Q9 traveling over the wave-like track 23 causes the casing 11 and its tan blades to be tilted bodily up and down in a vertical plane. Consequently, the gear pinion 31, while iu mesh with the gear teeth 27 ot the track member, will be also carried up and down in a vertical plane and iu au arc ot' a circle, the center of which is the pivot pin 1T. lu Figs. 8, l, and 5, the dotted line c indicates an arc of the circle defining the path ot vertical rocking movement ot' the gear pinion 31 as the same is carried up and down in the tilting' of the motor casing 11. ln order to permit such vertical rocking movement of the gear pinion 31 and prevent binding` of the same against the outer edges 39 and the bottoms i0 of the grooves or spaces -11 between the gear teethA QT o1 the track member Q3, such edges and surfaces l() are curved longitudinally on arcs of circles. the center of which are the pivot pin 17, or, in other words, the curvature ot' said edges 39 and surfaces 40 is concentric with the arc a of the circle defining the path of vertical rocking movement of the gear pinion 31. It follows, therefore, that when the roller 29 adjacent the gear pinion 31 travels over the crown or highest portion 2GEl of the wave-like track 26, said gear pinion 3l will have been moved bodily upward and be tilted inwardly toward the bearing surface 28 of the track member 23. In view of the fact that the outer edges 39 and the bottoms y-LLO of the spaces between the gear teeth 27 are curved longitudinally as stated, the gear pinion 31 may be moved into such angular position and still be in proper mesh without binding against the outer edges and bottoms of said gear teeth 27. In Fig. 3, I have shown parts in the position referred to. On the other hand, when the roller 29 adjacent the gear pinion 31 travels over the lowest portion or depression 26" of the wave-like track 26, the gear pinion 81 will have been moved bodily downward and be tilted outwardly from the bearing surface 2S of said track or gear member 23. As the outer edges 39 and the bottom surfaces a() of the spaces between the gear teeth 27 are curved longitudinally as stated, said gear pinion 31 may be moved into such angular position without binding against said gear teeth 27. In F ig. a'-, I have shown the gear pinion 31 and parts'in the position just referred to. rlllere is a point between the crown and depression of the track 2G wherein the track surface 2S is transversely straight, and when the roller 29 adjacent the gear pinion 31 passes over such portion of the wave-like track, said gear pinion 3l and the rollers 29 will be in vertical planes. In such position of the parts, the gear pinion 31 is properly in mesh with the gear teeth 27, as clearly shown in Fig. 5. By curving the outer edges 39 and the bottom surfaces 40 of the spaces between the gear teeth 27, the pinion 3l may be, in effect, rolled bodily in a vertical plane over the toothed edge of the gear member 28, and such parts will not bind one against the other during such movement.

From the foregoing it is clear that, as the gear pinion 31 travels around the toothed outer annular edge of the track 2G and is rocked up and down in a vertical plane as the rollers 29, 29 roll over the crowns and depressions of the wave-like track, the gear pinion 3l, by reason of the longitudinal curva-ture of the outer edges 39 and bottom surfaces 40 of the spaces between the gear teeth 27, will freely move during such rocking movement and be restrained from binding against the gear teeth 27. It will be also noted that the annular track surface 28 at the crown 26L of the track member is inclined upwardly, while the track surface at the depression 2Gb is inclined downwardly.

rEhe portions of the track surface between the crowns and depressions emerge into the upwardly and downwardly inclined portions at the crowns and depressions. IVith the track surface 28 so made, the casing 11 may be tilted as it is turned bodilv about a vertical axis or as the track member 23 rotates about a vertical axis.

In the accompanying drawings, I haveshown the gear or track member 23 as being applied to an electric fan of the desk or like type, but it is of course to be understood that said gear member may be applied to any device wherein one member of the device is pivoted and is tobe rocked or tilted bodily in a vertical plane duiing the turning of such pivoted member about a vertical axis or during the rotation of the gear meinber about a vertical axis. With my gear or track member 23 applied to an electric or like fan as shown, the casing 11 constitutes the pivotally mounted member of the combination, while the armature shaft 12 becomes a rotative member mounted on said pivot-ally mounted member.

Although I have shown and described herein in detail one preferred form of gear or track member embodying the features of my invention, yet it is to be understood that the details of construction and arrangement of parts shown may be variously modified and changed without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and I do not wish to be limited to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated, except as pointed out in the annexed claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a pivotally mounted member having a rotative member mounted thereon, of a track member of wavelike form, a roller on said pivotally mounted member and adapted to travel on said wavelike track member, said track member being provided on its outer margin with a plurality of gear teeth, the outer edges of which and the bottom surfaces of the spaces between said gear teeth being curved longitudinally on arcs of circles substantially concentric with the arc of the circle defining the path of tilting movement of said pivotally mounted member as said roller travels over said track member, and a gear wheel rotatably mounted on said pivotally mounted member and having operative connection with said rotative member, said gear wheel being in mesh with the gear teeth on Said track member.

2.V The combination with a pivot-ally mounted member having a rotative member mounted thereon, of an annular track member of wave-like form, a roller on said pivotally mounted member and adapted to travel on said wave-like track member, said track member being provided on its outer margin with a plurality of gear teeth, the outer edges of which and the bottom sur faces of the spaces between said gear teeth being curved longitudinally on arcs of circles concentric with the arc of the circle defining the path of tilting movement of the pivotally mounted member as the roller travels over said wave-like member, and a gear wheel rotatably mounted on said pivotally mounted member and having operative connection with said rotative member, said gear wheel being in mesh with the gear teeth on said track member.

3. The combination with a pivotally mounted member having a rotative member mounted thereon, ot an annular track member of wave-like form, a roller on said pivotally mounted member and adapted to travel on said wavelike track member, a rotative driving member mounted on said pivotally mounted member and having operative connection with said rotative member, said driving member having driving engagement with the outer annular edge ot said track member, said driving member being moved bodily up and down over the outer annular edge oi? said track member as the roller travels over the wave-like track member, and the outer annular edge of said track member being curved longitudinally concentric with the arc of the circle defining the path of tilting movement of said driving member.

4. A gear member of the character described, comprising an annular flange of wave-like form, said iiange being provided lwith gear teeth around its outer edge; the

outer edges and the surfaces at the bottom ot the spaces between said gear teeth being curved longitudinally.

5. A gear member ot' the character described, comprising a sleeve having an outwardly extending annular flange oi' wavelike form, said tlange being provided around its outer edge with a plurality of gear teeth, the outer edges of which and the surfaces at the bottom of the spaces between said gear teeth being curved longitudinally.

6. A gear member oi the character described, comprising an annular track member of wave-like form, and said track member being provided with gear teeth around one of its annular edges.

7. A gear member oil? the character described, comprising` an annular track member of wave-like form and having crowns and depressions; said track member being provided on one of its annular edges with a plurality of gear teeth, the upper face of said track member constituting the bearing surface thereof, and said bearing surface being inclined upwardly at the crowns oi! said wave-like track member and inclined downwardly at the depressions ot' said wave-like track member.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention I aiiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses, this 18th day of September, A. D. 1915.

GUSTAF OLSON.

Vitnesses:

EUGENE C. WANN, Louis Gnnnnnne.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for iive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

